D&D: Five Radiant Monsters for When You Need to Be Blinded by the Light
Radiant Damage is one of those hard-to-resist damage types, and that goes for players too. Here are five monsters that lean on Radiant.
Radiant Damage in D&D is often a searing light. Sometimes it’s the power of the sun, focused into a thin beam, like a laser. Other times it’s a pale, sickening light, like a pallid moon that weakens all beneath it. Whether it’s coruscating energy or an eerie glow, Radiant Damage is one of those harder to resist damage types.
Which is why many players have access to it. Paladins have it for their Divine Smite. Clerics and Druids can call upon it. Certain types of Sorcerers and Wizards—but why should they have all the fun? Especially when the Monster Manual is full of monsters just waiting to shed a little (damaging) light on the subject.
Orthon
Orthons get some love and stage time in the latter part of Baldur’s Gate 3. These infernals are bounty hunters who track their quarry through the nine hells and beyond. They are consummate hunters, capable of tracking someone across the various planes.
And they can become invisible at will, which lets them set up a powerful attack with their brass crossbow. The Blindness effect on their brass crossbow deals radiant damage and blinds anyone that happens to be near the target they hit with their blindness bolt. And with a range of 100 feet, and surprisingly good accuracy (because of that at-will invisibility) an Orthon can secure advantage against the entire party with one fell swoop.
Aartuk
Aartuk are alien plants from beyond the stars, no really. And they are starlike in shape, for an added bit of radiant theming. But any sort of Aartuk has the ability to use a gooey, sticky tongue to rstrain potential targets. But once they’re restrained, it follows up with its Radiant Pellets.
These blast targets with radiant damage, ranging from 2d4-4d4 depending on how blighted and awful the thing is. The more the Aartuk grows and feeds off of the sentient, fleshy life it considers to be inimical to it, the harder they hit when spitting laser seeds at people.
Crystal Dragon
Radiant Damage and Crystals go hand in hand. Especially Crystal Dragons. Starting at from the second they hatch, these dragons start dishing out radiant damage through the power of their crystalline teeth.
They can also exhale a blast of light, much like Godzilla in one of the newer Universal movies. A Crystal Dragon’s Scintillating Breath not only deals radiant damage to its targets, it also absorbs some of the radiant energy, fortifying itself with temporary hit points to bolster it against any meddlesome adventurers.
Marut
Maruts are a class of being known as Inevitables. These are constructs formed deep in the Hall of Concordance in the heart of Sigil. They enforce contracts, ensuring that the letter of any agreement is followed. Maruts, in particular, are very stubborn and literal-minded. They care about enforcing the letter of an agreement, not it’s spirit.
And what would a big EULA enforcing robot be if it didn’t have the ability to blast creatures with radiant damage. When a Marut declares a Blazing Edict, arcane energy blasts out from its chest, damaging any creature within a 60 foot cube, and potentially stunning them so that the Marut can follow up with its punching, crushing fists (that deal no radiant damage).
Starlight Apparition
Last but not least, we have a ghost made out of Starlight. Starlight Apparitions are the transparent projections of souls who perished in the AStral Sea or in Wild Space. These Apparitions are cursed to exist in their haunting ground until they help someone else avoid or overcome a perilous obstacle or accomplish a difficult task. The Starlight Apparitions, while helpful, are no slouches.
Each one is capable of protecting itself, using Radiant Damage as a primary means of both attack and escape. It can erupt stored radiance, damaging those foolish enough to anger a Starlight Apparition. This blast also can blind creatures, leaving the Starlight Apparition a chance to escape it might not otherwise have.
